In the great pantheon of musicians transcending above mere “celebrity” status, the late MICHAEL HUTCHENCE towers over most. A consummate “rock star” if there ever was one, he embodied the spirit and smoldering swagger of rock ‘n’ roll while possessing one of the most iconic voices in the contemporary music scene. So, it was with an earth-rattling shudder when tragically he passed away in 1997, leaving a mind-numbingly impressive legacy across the entertainment realm. What many didn’t know, however, is that he left some of his brilliance behind in the form of unreleased music. Producer, musician and personal friend DANNY SABER (Madonna, Rolling Stones, U2) has taken some of these musical pieces and completed them to continue and extend Hutchence’s impact. The new single “ONE WAY” is released today, April 5, 2024 via Boss Sonics.
“’One Way’ is the culmination of nearly two decades of work,” says Saber. “One of the fundamental reasons for releasing this music is to allow the fans to hear Michael’s voice on something new and fresh, offering a glimpse into what might have been, and, in turn, reawakening millions of people who may have simply forgotten about him.”
“Michael first contacted me in 1995 soon after the release of my album It’s Great When You’re Straight,” recalls Saber, referring to the UK #1 album by his band Black Grape with Happy Mondays’ Shaun Ryder. “Michael was a huge fan of my record and wanted to find the right sound for a solo record, a sound that would galvanize all the success he had with INXS and allow him to establish himself as a solo artist and spread his creative wings outside the confines of being the frontman of one of the most successful bands in the world.”
Working closely with Hutchence, the two became friends and creative partners. “Over the next two years, we became very close collaborators, and the period we worked together was one of the best times of my life,” Saber remembers. “I had just broken through with a #1 record and having Michael as a ‘big brother’ to help me navigate this was so important to me.”
Before he died in 1997, a self-titled solo album was released posthumously two years later. Though that seemed like the end of his musical output, a trove of unreleased demos and song ideas resurfaced in a tape locker in London in 2006. “I set about reviewing the recordings to find out if there was enough of a quality for some sort of release,” says Saber. Meanwhile, a documentary about Hutchence’s life was released in Australia and New Zealand, appropriately titled The Last Rockstar (2017), which included some snippets of these unfinished tracks. “I have been working towards bringing this music to the public for over 20 years,” he adds. “While some portions of these songs were featured in the documentary, the fully mastered versions had never been released.” Until now.
Taking one of the a capella vocal recordings that Hutchence left, Saber faithfully fleshed out and fashioned the track into “One Way,” ensuring it retained the elevated refinement that Hutchence demanded in life. “Michael and INXS set a really high standard for their music,” he explains. “I’ve said many times that you would be hard-pressed to find a crappy INXS song… a certain level of excellence had to be maintained!”
With a legacy that extends over four decades, beginning with the iconic multi-platinum band INXS, who have sold over 50 million albums worldwide, which effectively makes them the biggest-selling Australian act ever, as well as his solo projects, including short-lived but adored side project Max Q and also starring in films such as Dogs in Space and Frankenstein Unbound, Hutchence was an unbridled talent whose cultural significance knew few bounds. Even in death, his impact continues.
“One of the best things for me personally is that through this journey, I have come to a better understanding of what happened to Michael and why,” he says, referring to the emotional and tragic toll that fame and its excesses had on Hutchence. “I want to share that perspective as I really feel Michael’s story has so much relevance and value on so many levels, and along the way, hopefully we can shift the focus to how he lived and not how he died. Michael deserves to take his place in the pantheon of great frontmen and finally get the recognition he and the band deserve.”
Photo credit: Chris Cuffaro
